Diver{3 s mask

ABSTRACT

A diver&#39;&#39;s mask comprising a resilient face piece provided with a rim defining at least one front opening to accomodate a transparent pane member. The said pane member is provided with a substantially rigid peripheral flange having a first, forwardly directed surface and a second rearwardly directed surface. A rigid frame-like element is provided cooperating with the said peripheral flange and with the rim of the front opening, to tightly compress the said rim of the resilient face piece against one of the said surfaces of the peripheral flange of the transparent pane member.

United States Patent Ferraro 1 Sept. 30, 1975 [5 1 DIVER'S MASK 3,800,329 4/1974 Semeia 2/14 W [76] Inventor: Luigi Ferraro, l/D Piazzale Primarr Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder '1 161 Kennedy Genoa ltd y 00 Assistant E,\'mninerPeter Nerbun [221 Fil Ju y 1974 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James G. OBoyle Appl. No.: 488,925

[ ABSTRACT A divers mask comprising a resilient face piece provided with a rim defining at least one front opening to a'ccomodate a transparent pane member. The said pane member is provided with a substantially rigid peripheral flange having a first, forwardly directed surface and a second rearwardly directed surface. A rigid frame-like element is provided cooperating with the said peripheral flange and with the rim of the front opening, to tightly compress the said rim of the resilient face piece against one of the said surfaces of the peripheral flange of the transparent pane member.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent Sept.- 30,1975 Sheet 1of 3 3,908,196

sheetzof 3,908,196

US. Patent Sept. 30,1975

Sheet 3 0f 3 US. Patent Sept. 30,1975

DIVERS MASK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the divers masks of the kind comprising a rubber face piece provided with at least one rimmed front opening to accomodate a glass pane.

In the known masks of the above referred kind, the seal between the glass pane and the face piece is obtained by means of a frame or the like member encircling the front opening and compressing the rubber rim of the said opening against the periphery of the glass pane.

Masks of the above kind are for instance shown in the US. Pat. Nos. 3,694,814 and 3,800,329.

The main drawback of the masks according to the above prior art consists in the fact that it is very diffi cult to provide a tight seal between the face piece and the glass pane in the said masks whenever the glass pane is not provided with rounded or regularly shaped contours.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to obviate to the above and other disadvantages of the known prior art masks. by providing in a divers mask comprising a resilient face piece provided with a rim defining at least one from opening, a pane member, having, a substantially rigid peripheral flange integral with, or otherwise secured to it, the said flange having a first forwardly directed surface and a second rearwardly directed surface, and a substantially rigid frame like element cooperating with the peripheral flange to tightly compress the said rim of the front opening of the face piece against one of the said surfaces of the peripheral flange of the transparent pane member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristic features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following specification made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a mask according to the invention, with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the mask of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is detail in enlarged scale of the mask of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a part cross-sectioned plan view ofa second embodiment of mask according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a detail of another embodiment of the invention, in cross section, and

FIG. 7 is a detail, in enlarged scale of a further embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the divers mask 1 shown comprises a face piece 2, made of rubber. The face piece 2 is provided with two openings 102 to accomodate the supports 3 of the transparent glass panes 4.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the supports 3 comprises each one tubular body 303, which may be made for instance of hard plastics or of metal, closed at one end by a glass pane 4, secured in a watertight manner to the inner surface of the said tubular body 303 by means of any known suitable means.

The tubular body 303 is provided at its other end with an outwardly extending peripheral flange 103. At a certain distance from the flange 103 a certain number of shoulder elements 203 are formed on the body 303, integral therewith.

The said shoulder elements 203 have a saw-teeth profile, with the stepped flank confronting the flange 103, and with the inclined flank 403 directed in the opposite direction.

Numeral 5 denotes a frame like element provided with two openings to accomodate the glass supports 3. In assembling the mask described, the glass supports 3 are inserted through the openings 102 in the face piece 2, with the rims 202 of the said openings lying against the forwardly directed surface of the flange 103 of the supports 3. Thereafter, the frame like element 5 is mounted. To this end, the free ends of the supports 3 are inserted through the openings 105 of the member 5, the said member 5 is pushed toward the inclined side 403 of the shoulder elements 203, and is forced against the said elements until it snaps past the said elements between the stepped flanks of the elements 203 and the flange 103.

The frame like element 5 is of such a thickness as to firmly compress, in its assembled condition, the rim 202 against the flange 103, as best shown in FIG. 4.

It will be evident that by the described mask a watertight seal is obtained between the glass 4 and the parts to its associated and the face piece 2, in a simple yet reliable manner. It will be also evident that with a mask according to the present invention, the glass 4 and the parts which are associated to it may assume any desired profile, without affecting in a detrimental manner the watertight seal between said parts and the face piece, and that the said seal may also be improved by the water pressure acting on the glass panes.

DESCRIPTION OF A SECOND EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 5 a second embodiment of the invention is shown, according to which the flange 103 of the support 3 is provided on its side cooperating with the rim 202 of the face piece 2 with an annular groove, in which correspondingly shaped ridge 302 of the rim 202 is inserted.

In FIG. 6, still another embodiment of the invention is shown, according to which the rim 302 of the face piece 2 is compressed between the rearwardly directed surface of the flange 103 and the frame element 5. It will be evident that by the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the pressure of the water acting on the outer surface of the glass 4 improves the seal between the flange 103 and the face piece 2.

The glass pane 4 may be secured to the support 3 by known means. It may however be advantageous in some instances, to have the said glass pane secured to its mounting support in a dismountable manner. In FIG. 7 it is shown by way of example one mode of dismountably securing the glass pane to the mounting 3. To this end, the mounting 3 is provided on its inner side with an annular groove 503 in which a resilient ring 104 is inserted, which ring is in turn provided with an annular groove in which the peripheral edge of the glass pane 4 is inserted. In order to facilitate the insertion of the ring 104 with the glass pane 4 into the mounting groove 503, the mouth piece of the mounting element 3 is conically shaped as shown by 603.

,I claim:

1. A divers mask comprising a resilient face piece having a rim defining at least one from opening. an annular ridge formed on the periphery of said rim, pane means, a substantially rigid peripheral flange provided on said pane means, an annular groove formed in said .peripheral flange for receiving the ridge on said face piece, whereby the pane means is accommodated in the front opening of the face piece, a substantially rigid frame member for securing said pane means to said .face piece, and a side wall of said groove forming a part of a cooperating abutment means between said rigid frame member and said rigid peripheral flange providing a snap fit between said frame and saidflange,

whereby the rim of the face piece is interposed the rigid peripheral flange on the pane means and the rigid frame member, with the annular ridge on the front opening being compressed into water-tight engagement with the annular groove in the peripheral flange. 2. A divers mask according to claim 1, wherein said able manner to the said support frames. 

1. A diver''s mask comprising a resilient face piece having a rim defining at least one front opening, an annular ridge formed on the periphery of said rim, pane means, a substantially rigid peripheral flange provided on said pane means, an annular groove formed in said peripheral flange for receiving the ridge on said face piece, whereby the pane means is accommodated in the front opening of the face piece, a substantially rigid frame member for securing said pane means to said face piece, and a side wall of said groove forming a part Of a cooperating abutment means between said rigid frame member and said rigid peripheral flange providing a snap fit between said frame and said flange, whereby the rim of the face piece is interposed the rigid peripheral flange on the pane means and the rigid frame member, with the annular ridge on the front opening being compressed into watertight engagement with the annular groove in the peripheral flange.
 2. A diver''s mask according to claim 1, wherein said pane means comprises a pair of transparent pane members secured to respective support frames, said rigid peripheral flange being provided on each support frame.
 3. A diver''s mask according to claim 2 in which the said abutment means are provided with a saw teeth profile.
 4. A diver''s mask according to claim 2, in which the said support frames are made of transparent material.
 5. A diver''s mask according to claim 2, in which the said transparent pane members are secured in a removable manner to the said support frames. 